Hello! Well, here is a chapter with some actions in it, finally. ^_~
In addition, this chapter will mention a few more new characters
that I'll see if you can guess. ^_~
I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
PLEASE EMAIL!!!! ^_^ me and tell me what you think of my story.
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.
Just drop me a line! My inbox is getting really! lonely!! ^_~
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made
possible by DiC and now Cloverway/Bandai (?).
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com
= thoughts
[ ] = author's note
Rated: PG
Please enjoy!
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A Shepherd's Kiss
========================= By Cosmos ==================================
Chapter 9: Breach of Faith
It was almost the dawn of a month gone. The illusory colors of deep purple
and haunting blue mixed with the remaining night painted the incredible sky
that met his gaze when he awoke. For a moment, he remained where he was,
lying silently on his back watching the slow turn out of a new day. It was
an experience few had the chance to witness. The silence, the reverie of
the still atmosphere calmed his tired soul and aching heart. He let out a
sigh as if he longed to grasp the invisible stars with his bare hands…a sigh
that echoed the cry in his heart. His breath created puffs of misty-white
clouds in front of his cool lips in the crisp air of early dawn.
Much had happened…many changes have occurred…and many more will come…
In his mind, the past month rolled by event by event by event, flashing in
his head like minute pictures in a camera, but one image lingered behind
when others have long disappeared. It was her image. A radiant angel
captured in stillness, forever to imprint in his heart and forever to
inflict pain to it. He sighed again. How much more could he endure? How
much longer must he withhold this secret?
Eternity. The single word he feared answered him. Could it…must it…will it
be so?
Oh, but her name does suit her, he thought,
Serenity…serene…peaceful…silent. That name does suit her. His brows
crinkled with grief, Perhaps too perfectly. How am I to surpass her
coldness? How am I to ever show her what I feel? Must my love forever be
secret?…a secret that wants to be told but…
For the past month, he watched her carefully with a yearning desire burning
deep inside him that slowly ate away at his soul day by day. He noticed her
silence, her solitude, and her endurance to withstand the pain evident in
her heart. She seemed to be waiting for something, or someone, he could not
be sure. He never asked her, and she would probably never tell. A common
question, but a painful one for someone so deeply in love, rose in his head
whenever he caught her gazing forlornly at the moon, was she waiting for
someone?
If her heart was truly taken by another, then he would not intervene them.
A mournful sigh escaped him. When he finally knew what it was to love, the
woman he cared for would not return his feelings. Unrequited love, perhaps
this was the only kind he would ever experience.
"Fight!" someone yelled in the distant darkness interrupting his reverie.
He glanced toward the direction of the sound, but remained motionless with
his ears perked and his mind alert.
"Is that the best you can do?" the voice cried again. "Come on! Fight like
you mean it!"
Then the eerie noise of a duel soon covered the region. He could hear the
sounds of swords clanging against each other with cries of attacks emitted
by the tired fighters. Suddenly, silence overtook all. He remained where
he was on his back, but his senses were fully alert, waiting for…waiting
for…he wasn't sure what. But something…in the atmosphere…strange…
foreboding…a change was to come. Perhaps it was only a change in the wind,
or something much more, he was not sure; but he could sense the great
anticipation, as if the very world around him was waiting for this moment.
The atmosphere, once serene, now felt heavy with expectancy. His body was
poised like a snake readying itself for an unexpected attack.
Then it came. It was not a gradual invasion like the rising of an ocean's
tide, but a burst of wildfire spreading in madness among a dry grassland,
unstoppable and completely unexpected. Displacing the silence, an uproar of
screams filled the still forest as a surprise attack was made against them.
Two silhouettes ran toward him, one of which screamed, "RUN ENDYMION!"
"What?" his confused mind cried as he jerked upright.
The two silhouettes, with the tallest carrying a young child, passed him with
one grabbing his arm and pulling him with them. He looked at the owner of
the arm and found an angry expression upon her face mixed with fear. Her
cold blue eyes were focused directly in front of her. Suddenly, she glanced
his way when she noticed him looking at her with an expression of a million
unanswered questions. She simply frowned and said in a clipped voice,
"Later," and continued to run, dragging him with her.
The four could hear the great battle raging behind them, they could feel the
hopelessness of the situation, and the guilt for leaving the others behind,
but the two women knew this was the only way. It would be useless to all if
everyone was captured that early dawn; and victory was an impossible
achievement in this battle where they were greatly outnumbered twenty to
one. It was better to run and return to fight another day. And they would
return.
As the dreaded noise of the surprise attack grew fainter with distance, he
turned to her and yelled, "What the hell are you two doing?"
"Trying to evade capture, what do you think?!" Serenity snapped.
"We can't just leave them behind!" he argued. "They'll be slaughtered. I'm
going back!" He pulled his arm free from her grasp.
"And what," she turned abruptly to face him, "get yourself captured? Or
worse killed?"
"They are being defeated without our help!" he cried in anger. At the
moment, his rage blinded him of insight into the proper decisions.
Momentarily, he thought she was being selfish for running away to simply
save her own skin. "If you're such a coward then you can stay here," he
yelled at her, "but I'm returning to help them!"
Her cold blue eyes for a moment revealed an emotion he did not expect. She
turned away from him without replying, but not before he could see the hurt
expression so evident in those blue crystals.
Haruka noticed it too. She turned toward Endymion angrily with Hotaru held
protectively in her strong arms, "They will be defeated with or without our
help!" she yelled. "It will prove useless to us all if every one of us were
captured by those damn M officers."
"M officers? Those Green Soldiers were led by the M Officers?" he asked in
shock.
"Yes they were. Now not only were we greatly outnumbered and caught totally
off guard but also do you think we had any chance at all fighting against
the M's great foot battalion? Think, Endymion! You know I am right!"
Through it all, Hotaru watched with saddened eyes as the two argued among
themselves. Her gaze fell upon Serenity whose attention was laid somewhere
else in the distance. A sorrowful expression could be seen beneath the
coldness she was attempting to hide behind.
Endymion glanced angrily back in the direction of the battle with fists
clenched tightly at his sides. His heart raged with multitudes of emotions
from anger to guilt, but in his mind he knew Haruka was right. It would be
useless to be captured. And returning to help fight a futile battle was
plain suicidal. If he remained free, then there would be a chance he could
help his comrades escape. Yet, two questions lingered in his mind, Why
were the M officers sent to carry out a surprise attack on our camp, when
obviously it was not a military strategic point? And how did they find our
hiding place anyway?
The M officers were the greatest Lieutenants within the Green Army, the main
military unit of Kingdom Earth. Usually, they engaged in battles at the
North Post, which held the greatest importance in this war. The North Post,
one of two posts that Era soldiers have been unable to capture—the South
Post being the other one—held a strange source of power deep within the
womb of its majestic mountain known to all as Crystal's Child. No one knew
who named the mountain or why it was given that name, but it remained with
the people unto this day. A great power could be sensed from deep within
the mountain's belly but no one has yet been able to reach it. Currently,
Era soldiers were desperately trying to gain the post before the Green
soldiers have a chance to retrieve that power, but so far it has been
unsuccessful for both parties.
Serenity gave a silent glance toward the tall young man standing close to
her with his attention greatly absorbed in this painful decision. His harsh
words still rang clear in her heart where it caused further wounds. She
turned away and began to stroll on alone. Whether they will follow her, she
did not care. Where she was heading, she did not bother to think. What she
wanted was to escape all this. She simply wanted to fall into a deep slumber
where nothing could be felt, where pain was only a distant memory, guilt a
forgotten sorrow, and peace a welcomed companion. But alas, her desire
would not be fulfilled. Instead, she continued on following this path
wherever it may eventually lead her and to whatever fate awaiting her.
Endymion sensed her presence gone from his side. A sudden wash of sorrow
overcame him. His very words now surfaced in his mind to inflict pain
against him. How could he have been so thoughtless, so cruel as to say that
to her. He turned and found her slender form moving slowly away from him.
She looked so forlorn walking down that forest trail. He watched her with
mournful eyes that filled with a secret love.
Haruka watched aside in silence. All that surpassed between these two, she
could see full well. No words were needed. No explanations required. The
eyes, the gestures, the evident sorrow was enough to let her know that a
unique attraction, love if one wanted to call it, was pulling these two
together. Looking at Endymion, she knew he could feel the full force of the
emotion surging in his soul, but he has yet to reach for it. Watching
Serenity, Haruka realized that she has yet to accept it.
Shaking her head dejectedly, Haruka whispered, "Come Endymion. Let us
follow her, it is best we not leave her alone. I fear what she would do if
left on her own."
Endymion looked at Haruka questioningly, but the young woman only shook her
head again and turned to follow Serenity. Endymion was not far behind.
Serenity could sense them following her, but she did not slow down nor did
they make any intent on catching up to her. Once they have given great
distance between themselves and the place of battle, they all stopped near a
small brook for a quick rest before they continue on again, to where…none of
them knew.
Haruka and Endymion sat down by the bank, chatting silently about the
possible places their friends could have been taken and how they were to
carry out a rescue plan. Serenity watched them from beneath a cherry
blossom situated upon a small hill with Hotaru sitting quietly by her side.
Her eyes appeared emotionless and indifferent, but a strange light reflected
in them that to an unobservant eye would not have been noticed, but Hotaru
saw it.
"Where do you think they could have been taken?" she heard Haruka asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied with frustration. "Possibly to
one of the two posts they held."
"No," Haruka responded, "they wouldn't take them their. The prisoners would
only get in their way. Possibly to those caves to the west."
"Maybe," Endymion replied although with great doubt, "but it would take us
forever to locate them. You know how many caves there are in those rocky
cliffs?"
"Perhaps," Serenity spoke up, "they did not take them anywhere." She
instantly caught their attention. Even Hotaru looked up in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Haruka asked slowly.
Serenity looked across the brook, her eyes dark and brooding as she replied,
"Prisoners are not always taken in a battle."
Endymion frowned angrily. He stood up and walked toward her with determined
strides. She noticed him approach, but remained where she was. He bent
down and grabbed her by both arms pulling her up until her face was leveled
with his. In a low whisper, he spoke words intended for her ears alone, "I
have tried many times to understand you, and now I truly know. You care for
no one but yourself. Do you think that your sorrows are the only ones in
this world? Do you think that perhaps there are others out there that may
have suffered just as much as you? I suggest, *Princess*," he emphasized her
title in an irritated voice, "that you drop this self-pity act and start
thinking for once. Wallowing in your grief will get you no where and it
wouldn't help your situation or anyone else for that matter." He paused to
let his words sink in before continuing in a calmer voice, "If you don't
want to come with us, then you're free to go wherever you please. I have
never, and will not now, hold you from your wishes."
She gazed at him for a moment. Her dark azure eyes searched the depth of
his Prussian blues for something that she wanted to see but somehow could
not manage to find at the moment. Without a response, she broke from his
grip and began to walk away. She gave neither a word of farewell nor a
backward glance as her form disappeared among the large trunks of the
surrounding forest. Hotaru hesitated, glancing back to her other two
friends but quickly followed the young woman into the dark undergrowth. He
watched Serenity disappear with mournful eyes and a deep emotion of regret.
They had only managed as far as a few steps when Serenity heard a small twig
snap toward her left. She immediately grabbed Hotaru and pulled her down
behind a thick shrub. Cautiously, Serenity peered through an opening
between two branches and to her surprise she saw Faith carefully approaching
Haruka and Endymion by the bank. She heard Faith call his name as she
stepped into the open. Endymion turned and a joyful light lit his face when
he saw his friend alive. Haruka was welcoming the young woman with great
warmth as well.
Her brows knitted together in pain as Serenity felt a strange emotion
overcame her. It was not jealousy, but perhaps envy. Faith was their
friend. She was a part of their group, while Serenity was only an outsider
that could never fit in and be truly accepted. It appeared that she was
destined to be alone. Her eyes grew dark again as she pushed these emotions
aside. I don't need them, she thought, but…I am interested in what
this girl has to say. How is it that she, a simple farmer's daughter,
managed to escape the attack when many well-trained soldiers have felled to
do so?
"Stay here, Hotaru," she told the child as she carefully edged her way
toward the forest edge in hopes of overhearing their conversation. She hid
herself behind a dense wild rosebush. At this distance she could hear them
perfectly well.
She arrived in time to catch the beginning of a question placed at Faith,
"…you manage to escape?" Haruka asked in surprise.
"I was working in my garden when I heard people screaming that we were
under attack. I was so scared that I just dashed headlong into the forest
in hopes of escaping capture. The Green Soldiers have been hunting for me
for quite awhile and knowing that they were so close just scared me to
death," Faith gave a shudder at the thought.
"It's alright now," Haruka comforted giving the younger woman a slight
hug.
"Did you see anyone else escaping?" Endymion inquired.
Faith shook her head dejectedly, "No, everyone was captured."
Endymion frowned with concern.
"Oh Endymion!" Faith cried as she threw herself into his arms, "I'm so
scared! What if they search for us…and….and found us?"
"They won't," he reassured her.
"How…how can you be sure?"
"Because they won't waste their time and energy searching only for five
people," he answered as he gradually let go of her.
"Five?" she asked in confusion. "Where are the other two persons then?"
"They're gone," he replied in a tight voice.
They? Faith thought.
"Where did they go?" Faith asked inquisitively.
Endymion shrugged, "I don't know."
"Faith," Haruka interrupted, "did you manage to see where the others were
taken?"
"Well," Faith said hesitantly, "after the battle, I returned to see whether
the Green army was gone, but they were still there. I heard one of the
M officers gave an order to head for the South Post. I stayed just long
enough to see them gather up the prisoners and march out. I noticed that
you and Haruka weren't with them so I began to search for you both."
"You returned?" Endymion asked incredulously. "Well, you are a very brave
girl, Faith."
"Indeed," Haruka agreed, "and thanks to her courage, I think we know where
our friends are being held prisoner."
Endymion nodded, "The South Post."
Hmmm…, Serenity thought with great suspicion, you *are* a brave girl,
Faith, she thought sarcastically. Far more the braver than the fool?
South Post, you said. Let us see.
Serenity had heard all she needed. She returned to Hotaru with a strange
expression on her face. Once within hearing distance, she whispered,
"Hotaru, do you know your way around these parts?"
The child answered in bewilderment, "Yes, but why?"
"Do you know where a place called the South Post is located?"
Hotaru nodded.
"Great, can you take me there?" Serenity asked.
"Yes I can, but why do you want to go there? That place is fortified to the
teeth with Green Soldiers. You're crazy if you want to go there."
"Perhaps, I am," Serenity replied as she gave a strange glance back toward
the stream, "but that is where we're heading."
It took them the entire week to travel on foot to reach the South Post, and
Hotaru was correct when she said the place was fortified with Green Soldiers.
The South Post, as Serenity soon observed, was merely a cliff by the side
of a large ocean spanning as far as the eye could see. The ocean's
sparkling dark blue surface lapped at the foot of the jagged cliff in bursts
of white foam that barely reached half the side. Hiding behind large jagged
rocks that jutted from the ground like icicles from a shingle, Serenity and
Hotaru watched as Green Soldiers (of which Serenity approximated to be five
hundred) stood guard in front of the cliff, while a hundred of them were
going behind the side of a slab of limestone rock that rose from the ground
as tall as a great red oak tree.
Serenity frowned in confusion, Estimating the width of that limestone
slab, it is impossible that that number of soldiers could hide behind it
all at once. Besides, why the need to hide simply a hundred foot soldiers
behind a rock slab when several hundred others are standing around like sign
posts? There must be something behind it. A cave perhaps.
Serenity scanned quickly around, but all she could see were regular foot
soldiers. There were no officers that would rank as Lieutenants among these
soldiers. But then again, she was not familiar with Earth military dress
codes. Thus, Serenity asked Hotaru if she could possibly recognize the
so-called M officers among these soldiers.
After taking a cautious peak over the top of the rock, Hotaru sunk back down
with a negative shake of her head. "No," she said, "I can't see any of the
M officers at all. Are you sure they were heading here?"
Serenity did not reply. She returned her attention to the numerous forest
green soldiers dotting the landscape before her gaze. Perhaps they were
not taken here at all, she thought carefully. But then why did Faith…?
Her eyes widened in surprise as a single word rose instantly to her mind,
Trap!
Hotaru noticed her sudden change of expression and asked fearfully,
"Serenity? What…what is wrong?"
No, Serenity thought in astonishment, this is a trap! That damn girl
lied! She is leading them into a trap! I knew her alibi sounded fishy.
Shit! What the hell am I to do?
"Hotaru," she said hurriedly, "We must get out of here and warn the others!"
"What?"
"This is a trap!" Serenity said as her eyes flashed with dangerous fury,
"Faith lied! The prisoners were never taken here in the first place. She is
leading them directly into a trap!"
"Oh my God!" Hotaru cried in fear.
"Come on! We must hurry! If we move quickly we might intercept them in
time!"
The two rushed out as quickly as possible without getting detected and ran
back along the trail they came, but they were too late. Before they managed
a few meters, they could hear yells and screams back at the Post that marked
the beginning of a desperate struggle. No! Serenity thought with anguish,
They're already here!
"Hide here Hotaru!" Serenity commanded before she rushed away.
"Wait! Serenity!" Hotaru called out desperately, "Don't go back there!" But
Serenity was out of hearing distance. Instead, the child hid among the
forest brushes in silent dread praying for the return of her companion.
Serenity rushed maddeningly toward the place of battle. I hope I get
there in time, she thought.
The fight opened before her like a scene in some play. She saw Haruka
fighting desperately against five Green soldiers, while Endymion was
struggling hard to fight against five other soldiers a short distant away.
One of the soldiers looked familiar, but Serenity could not discern the
face from this distance. However, this soldier was wearing a slightly
different uniform than the rest. To her horror, Serenity saw Endymion
quickly being defeated. They were greatly outnumbered. Victory was
impossible.
Serenity scanned around quickly in search of Faith, but the traitor was no
where in sight. Not surprising, she thought, her cold blue eyes flashed
with hatred. Serenity realized that escape for any one of them was almost
impossible. It would take a miracle to help them retreat, but she could not
leave them to fight alone. Instead, she pulled out a sword she had with her
during training with Haruka that early morning and rushed in.
Haruka was nearest to her, so Serenity reached her first. During her fight,
Haruka saw Serenity quickly approaching her. In surprise and fear she
yelled, "Get out of here! It's a trap!"
Upon hearing Haruka's voice screaming at someone, Endymion turned to look.
He saw a flash of silver hair before a Green soldier blocked his view in an
attack. Serenity? his mind managed to think before his attention was
quickly occupied again.
Twirling around like an unstoppable whirlwind, Serenity skillfully defeated
the soldiers rushing to block her from reaching Haruka. Slashing left and
right, she struck down the soldiers one-by-one as she met each attack. Soon
back to back, the two female warriors fought. Their two swords flashed
dangerously around them preventing any of the soldiers from penetrating
their tight defenses.
"I told you to get the hell out of here!" Haruka managed to yell through the
roars of battle.
"Like I ever listened to you?" Serenity yelled back sarcastically.
Haruka gave a laughing cry and said, "You're a fool, Serenity! But I'm glad
you're here now."
Serenity made no reply. A Green soldier attacked her from the side, his
sword flashed seriously close to her side but she managed to block it. She
used her sword to shove him back. He staggered backward under the force and
she used the opportunity to strike him down. There are too many! she
thought fearfully, We can't fight on forever.
"We must get out of here!" she yelled.
"We can't leave Endymion!"
Serenity frowned and gave a quick glance over at the mob surrounding him.
Impossible, was the word that rose to her head, it is impossible to
save him. Endymion…
Suddenly his voice rose above the din of battle as if in response to her
thoughts, "Get out of here!!!!" he yelled. "Save yourselves! Serenity!
Haruka! Get the HELL OUT OF HERE!"
"NO!" Haruka cried, "We're not leaving without you!"
"Listen to me!" he cried angrily, "It is useless! You must free the others,
so move it! That is an order!"
"But…," Haruka protested.
"He's right," Serenity said in a tight voice, "We can't save him. We must
escape or we'll all get captured!"
Haruka growled in frustration. "All right," she muttered reluctantly, "but
we'll come back for him."
Serenity nodded silently.
"Hold on fast!" Haruka yelled.
"What?" Serenity cried out in surprise.
Haruka did not reply. Instead she held out her hand at the soldiers
blocking their way of retreat into the forest and yelled, "Terra Winds!
Demolish!!!!"
Suddenly, a blast of power was emitted from her open hand and sliced through
the soldiers in a single clean sweep. The powers of wind raged around her
as Serenity tried desperately to retain her footing. Incredible! she
thought in amazement at the unbelievable force this woman just demonstrated.
For a moment, the incredible energy of the blow held the soldiers at bay,
but that moment was brief.
"Come on!" Haruka cried as she ran quickly toward the forest. Serenity
followed close behind.
Before she reached the safety of the trees, Serenity gave a fleeting glance
back toward Endymion fighting desperately alone. His body was covered with
blood and sweat. His left arm was wounded, but he continued to struggle on.
She knew he could not last much longer. A pang of sorrow swept though her.
She turned reluctantly away and followed Haruka but not before she whispered,
"Fight Endymion! I'll come back for you."
A soldier fighting against Endymion noticed their retreat and cried out to
his commanding officer, "They're escaping Major!"
"Never mind," his Major replied, "He is what we're after. Don't let *him*
escape or I'll have your skins! I want this man alive. Capture him! Get him
NOW!"
Although alone and physically exhausted, Endymion fought on with a spirit
that was unwilling to be defeated. A single man with one solitary sword, he
fought as if ten men were with him. Major Silica frowned in frustration,
He is much more difficult to bring down than I had initially estimated.
Watching him fight with amazing skills, Silica thought admiringly, He is
good. He is very good. But I am growing weary of this fight. It will end
now.
Endymion just managed to dodge the blade of a Green soldier when another met
his attention flashing close to his throat. He swerved in time to allow his
sword return the attack by hitting its mark in a flash of crimson.
"Enough!" he heard someone cried, "You are mine, shepherd!"
Suddenly a sphere of energy whizzed toward him at an incredible speed. His
eyes narrowed instinctively as he quickly did a forward flip high into the
air, barely escaping the attack as it hissed by singeing the tips of his
ebony hair. The attack met an unwanted target in the rock slab's face and
exploded. Close, he thought nervously, Too close for comfort.
Landing heavily on his feet, Endymion's dark Prussian-blue eyes focused on
the woman dressed in a moss-green uniform standing directly in front of him.
His raging azure eyes pierced her glare as the hatred of one met the fury of
another. "Fighting any further is plain stupid," she said, "I suggest
surrender, shepherd."
"Never," he hissed. "I'd rather die than allow you to capture me."
She responded in a mocking smile as she attacked again letting go another
powerful attack. This time two blades of gray energy flew at him. With a
body that was plagued with fatigue and a mind muddled with pain, Endymion
was unable to dodge both the attack. He managed to drop to the ground and
rolled away from the first blade, but the second came instantly leaving him
no room for escape. It struck him a forceful blow in the back sending him
reeling against the lime slab. His bloodied body crumbled to the ground in
a sounding thud, which left him unconscious, and a prisoner of his enemy.
A sinister smile crept to her lips as Silica whispered in a smooth voice,
"Let us see how she will deal with a traitor like you."
They have been running for a very long distance and fatigue has now caught
up with them. Gradually, they slowed down to a walk. Haruka gave a sad
glance back toward the direction where, in her mind's eye, she could
visualize Endymion struggling for his life. She hated this. She hated to
leave him behind, to run from a fight. But she knew she could not have
helped him if she stayed, and being captured was never an option.
"What are we to do now?" Haruka asked in a hopeless tone. "We can't return
to help Endymion and we have no clue where the others could have been
taken."
Serenity remained silent as she looked back toward the struggle they left
behind. Why didn't they chase after us? she thought in confusion,
Was it not in their intention to capture the rest of Era soldiers?
Hmmm…strange…could it be possible? Is he the only one they were truly after?
But why? Her thoughts quickly switched to another direction when she
heard Haruka's comments. For a moment, she pondered carefully the words
Faith had said. Maybe there was something in her alibi that might give them
a clue to the others location. Meanwhile, Haruka slumped down dejectedly
beneath the shade of a large oak. A hopeless and mournful look occupied her
lovely face. For once, she felt completely lost. There didn't seem any
possible paths they could take. All the available roads appeared to lead
only to a dead end.
"I can't believe Faith would betrayed us," she said in a low whisper, anger
evident in her tone.
"I can," Serenity replied.
"What?"
"What she told you this morning was simply too foolish on her part to be
true," Serenity said in an icy tone. "I mean, working in her garden before
the break of dawn? That is simply absurd. And she actually returned to see
if the Green soldiers are gone. Hah! Give me a break! The girl said she ran
in dead fright when she *heard* they were attacking, where did she suddenly
get her courage to return. I knew her story sounded too ridiculous to be
true, but I had no evidence to prove my suspicions correct."
"So you decided to check out the South Post in case she was telling the
truth?"
"Yeah," Serenity said in a deadly tone, "if I weren't so stupid, I could
have prevented you and Endymion from getting into her trap in the first
place." She stood looking into the distant with her hands clenched in a
tight fist as her eyes raged with such intensity of hatred that Haruka for a
moment feared her.
"No," the older woman spoke quietly from below, "Endymion and I were the
fools here. We should have caught up with her story in the first place
instead of believing her wholeheartedly like we did. It's just that we
never suspect a girl like Faith to hand us over to the Green soldiers. I
mean, she was hunted by Green soldiers as well."
"Maybe she wasn't hunted by them," Serenity said thoughtfully. "Perhaps,
she was their spy all along. It was probably she that revealed your
hideout."
"Most likely. Betrayed by one of our own. I…I don't know who to trust
anymore."
Hotaru watched Haruka with great sympathy. Here was a woman who has
committed herself to a desperate struggle in order to save the heart of a
kingdom from oppression and injustice. It appeared that the peace and
happiness of so many always fell upon the shoulders of so few.
Serenity remained silent for a moment before she said, "There is one you
can trust."
The older woman looked up at her in surprise. Expecting a cold gaze, Haruka
was met instead with calm azure eyes that held a deep hidden emotion. The
coldness at the moment was pushed back into the depths of those blue
crystals.
"And who would that be?"
"The one who would sacrifice his life for the sake of others."
"Endymion," Haruka whispered the dear name, "he has always been pure of
heart." Unexpected, she asked Serenity, "what about you?"
"What about me?" Serenity replied coldly.
"Can I trust you?"
Serenity remained silent for a moment. Her azure eyes became dark and grave.
"You can do whatever you want," she replied impassively, "but it is best you
don't place such hope on me."
"Why?" Haruka asked bewildered by the strangeness of her personality, "Will
you be betray us as well?"
Serenity did not reply. She returned her gaze back to the distant horizon
as she thought carefully on their next actions. Quietly she spoke, "I know
where your other friends are being held."
"What?" Haruka jumped up in surprise, "You do? How? Where?"
"If Faith said they are being held in the South Post, then the only other
place is the—"
"North Post!" Haruka interrupted in her excitement.
"Right," Serenity replied in a definite tone.
"But with only the two of us," Haruka began, "how in the world can we fight
past the hundreds of soldiers stationed there?"
"There is more to gaining a victory than simply fighting your way through,"
Serenity said. "If they used the element of surprise on us then why not
return it back to them. It is only respectful to give another a surprise
when they have given you one." A cold smile spread across her beautiful
face as the iciness returned to her gaze set in the distant northern
horizon.
[Well, I hope no one is angry with me for having Endymion call Serenity a
coward, but you must understand how frustrated he was. Besides, he didn't
mean it. ^_~ I try to make my characters be as realistic with their
emotions as possible so they are not perfect angels. ^_~ Anyway, sorry for
making this chapter so long. Now, can you guess who the M officers are?
There are three of them and they are all characters you know.
Hint: The letter "M" is the key. ^_~
Thanks goes to you all for being so patient with me as I try hard
to have a new chapter released each week. I'd also like to thank all who
emailed me. I love reading your comments! ^_~ Keep them coming people! ^_^
Oh! Announcement to those who are interested:
Fox channel is airing "Vision of Escaflowne" this August 19-00
at 11 AM Eastern time (10 AM Central and Pacific time),
and Cybersix at 10 AM or later Eastern (I watched that
already, it is a pretty interesting show. It is an anime
although the character style is quite different.)
Teletoon is airing Cardcaptor Sakura this
August 23rd, unfortunately I don't know what time. I have to find out if I
want to watch it though. ^_~ I like to see what it is like. I am
anxiously waiting to see Escaflowne. From what I heard, it should be
really good. ^_~!!!!!! I am also waiting for YTV to air the new SM
episodes and (hopefully) Gundam Wings. Wow, what a line up this fall! ^_~
Whoa, this is the longest author's note I have ever done. ^_^
*********** Well, chapter ten coming next week! "Trust" *******]
===========================================
Copyright (c) 2000, Cosmos.
In addition, this chapter will mention a few more new characters
that I'll see if you can guess. ^_~
I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
PLEASE EMAIL!!!! ^_^ me and tell me what you think of my story.
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.
Just drop me a line! My inbox is getting really! lonely!! ^_~
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made
possible by DiC and now Cloverway/Bandai (?).
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com
= thoughts
[ ] = author's note
Rated: PG
Please enjoy!
============================================================================
A Shepherd's Kiss
========================= By Cosmos ==================================
Chapter 9: Breach of Faith
It was almost the dawn of a month gone. The illusory colors of deep purple
and haunting blue mixed with the remaining night painted the incredible sky
that met his gaze when he awoke. For a moment, he remained where he was,
lying silently on his back watching the slow turn out of a new day. It was
an experience few had the chance to witness. The silence, the reverie of
the still atmosphere calmed his tired soul and aching heart. He let out a
sigh as if he longed to grasp the invisible stars with his bare hands…a sigh
that echoed the cry in his heart. His breath created puffs of misty-white
clouds in front of his cool lips in the crisp air of early dawn.
Much had happened…many changes have occurred…and many more will come…
In his mind, the past month rolled by event by event by event, flashing in
his head like minute pictures in a camera, but one image lingered behind
when others have long disappeared. It was her image. A radiant angel
captured in stillness, forever to imprint in his heart and forever to
inflict pain to it. He sighed again. How much more could he endure? How
much longer must he withhold this secret?
Eternity. The single word he feared answered him. Could it…must it…will it
be so?
Oh, but her name does suit her, he thought,
Serenity…serene…peaceful…silent. That name does suit her. His brows
crinkled with grief, Perhaps too perfectly. How am I to surpass her
coldness? How am I to ever show her what I feel? Must my love forever be
secret?…a secret that wants to be told but…
For the past month, he watched her carefully with a yearning desire burning
deep inside him that slowly ate away at his soul day by day. He noticed her
silence, her solitude, and her endurance to withstand the pain evident in
her heart. She seemed to be waiting for something, or someone, he could not
be sure. He never asked her, and she would probably never tell. A common
question, but a painful one for someone so deeply in love, rose in his head
whenever he caught her gazing forlornly at the moon, was she waiting for
someone?
If her heart was truly taken by another, then he would not intervene them.
A mournful sigh escaped him. When he finally knew what it was to love, the
woman he cared for would not return his feelings. Unrequited love, perhaps
this was the only kind he would ever experience.
"Fight!" someone yelled in the distant darkness interrupting his reverie.
He glanced toward the direction of the sound, but remained motionless with
his ears perked and his mind alert.
"Is that the best you can do?" the voice cried again. "Come on! Fight like
you mean it!"
Then the eerie noise of a duel soon covered the region. He could hear the
sounds of swords clanging against each other with cries of attacks emitted
by the tired fighters. Suddenly, silence overtook all. He remained where
he was on his back, but his senses were fully alert, waiting for…waiting
for…he wasn't sure what. But something…in the atmosphere…strange…
foreboding…a change was to come. Perhaps it was only a change in the wind,
or something much more, he was not sure; but he could sense the great
anticipation, as if the very world around him was waiting for this moment.
The atmosphere, once serene, now felt heavy with expectancy. His body was
poised like a snake readying itself for an unexpected attack.
Then it came. It was not a gradual invasion like the rising of an ocean's
tide, but a burst of wildfire spreading in madness among a dry grassland,
unstoppable and completely unexpected. Displacing the silence, an uproar of
screams filled the still forest as a surprise attack was made against them.
Two silhouettes ran toward him, one of which screamed, "RUN ENDYMION!"
"What?" his confused mind cried as he jerked upright.
The two silhouettes, with the tallest carrying a young child, passed him with
one grabbing his arm and pulling him with them. He looked at the owner of
the arm and found an angry expression upon her face mixed with fear. Her
cold blue eyes were focused directly in front of her. Suddenly, she glanced
his way when she noticed him looking at her with an expression of a million
unanswered questions. She simply frowned and said in a clipped voice,
"Later," and continued to run, dragging him with her.
The four could hear the great battle raging behind them, they could feel the
hopelessness of the situation, and the guilt for leaving the others behind,
but the two women knew this was the only way. It would be useless to all if
everyone was captured that early dawn; and victory was an impossible
achievement in this battle where they were greatly outnumbered twenty to
one. It was better to run and return to fight another day. And they would
return.
As the dreaded noise of the surprise attack grew fainter with distance, he
turned to her and yelled, "What the hell are you two doing?"
"Trying to evade capture, what do you think?!" Serenity snapped.
"We can't just leave them behind!" he argued. "They'll be slaughtered. I'm
going back!" He pulled his arm free from her grasp.
"And what," she turned abruptly to face him, "get yourself captured? Or
worse killed?"
"They are being defeated without our help!" he cried in anger. At the
moment, his rage blinded him of insight into the proper decisions.
Momentarily, he thought she was being selfish for running away to simply
save her own skin. "If you're such a coward then you can stay here," he
yelled at her, "but I'm returning to help them!"
Her cold blue eyes for a moment revealed an emotion he did not expect. She
turned away from him without replying, but not before he could see the hurt
expression so evident in those blue crystals.
Haruka noticed it too. She turned toward Endymion angrily with Hotaru held
protectively in her strong arms, "They will be defeated with or without our
help!" she yelled. "It will prove useless to us all if every one of us were
captured by those damn M officers."
"M officers? Those Green Soldiers were led by the M Officers?" he asked in
shock.
"Yes they were. Now not only were we greatly outnumbered and caught totally
off guard but also do you think we had any chance at all fighting against
the M's great foot battalion? Think, Endymion! You know I am right!"
Through it all, Hotaru watched with saddened eyes as the two argued among
themselves. Her gaze fell upon Serenity whose attention was laid somewhere
else in the distance. A sorrowful expression could be seen beneath the
coldness she was attempting to hide behind.
Endymion glanced angrily back in the direction of the battle with fists
clenched tightly at his sides. His heart raged with multitudes of emotions
from anger to guilt, but in his mind he knew Haruka was right. It would be
useless to be captured. And returning to help fight a futile battle was
plain suicidal. If he remained free, then there would be a chance he could
help his comrades escape. Yet, two questions lingered in his mind, Why
were the M officers sent to carry out a surprise attack on our camp, when
obviously it was not a military strategic point? And how did they find our
hiding place anyway?
The M officers were the greatest Lieutenants within the Green Army, the main
military unit of Kingdom Earth. Usually, they engaged in battles at the
North Post, which held the greatest importance in this war. The North Post,
one of two posts that Era soldiers have been unable to capture—the South
Post being the other one—held a strange source of power deep within the
womb of its majestic mountain known to all as Crystal's Child. No one knew
who named the mountain or why it was given that name, but it remained with
the people unto this day. A great power could be sensed from deep within
the mountain's belly but no one has yet been able to reach it. Currently,
Era soldiers were desperately trying to gain the post before the Green
soldiers have a chance to retrieve that power, but so far it has been
unsuccessful for both parties.
Serenity gave a silent glance toward the tall young man standing close to
her with his attention greatly absorbed in this painful decision. His harsh
words still rang clear in her heart where it caused further wounds. She
turned away and began to stroll on alone. Whether they will follow her, she
did not care. Where she was heading, she did not bother to think. What she
wanted was to escape all this. She simply wanted to fall into a deep slumber
where nothing could be felt, where pain was only a distant memory, guilt a
forgotten sorrow, and peace a welcomed companion. But alas, her desire
would not be fulfilled. Instead, she continued on following this path
wherever it may eventually lead her and to whatever fate awaiting her.
Endymion sensed her presence gone from his side. A sudden wash of sorrow
overcame him. His very words now surfaced in his mind to inflict pain
against him. How could he have been so thoughtless, so cruel as to say that
to her. He turned and found her slender form moving slowly away from him.
She looked so forlorn walking down that forest trail. He watched her with
mournful eyes that filled with a secret love.
Haruka watched aside in silence. All that surpassed between these two, she
could see full well. No words were needed. No explanations required. The
eyes, the gestures, the evident sorrow was enough to let her know that a
unique attraction, love if one wanted to call it, was pulling these two
together. Looking at Endymion, she knew he could feel the full force of the
emotion surging in his soul, but he has yet to reach for it. Watching
Serenity, Haruka realized that she has yet to accept it.
Shaking her head dejectedly, Haruka whispered, "Come Endymion. Let us
follow her, it is best we not leave her alone. I fear what she would do if
left on her own."
Endymion looked at Haruka questioningly, but the young woman only shook her
head again and turned to follow Serenity. Endymion was not far behind.
Serenity could sense them following her, but she did not slow down nor did
they make any intent on catching up to her. Once they have given great
distance between themselves and the place of battle, they all stopped near a
small brook for a quick rest before they continue on again, to where…none of
them knew.
Haruka and Endymion sat down by the bank, chatting silently about the
possible places their friends could have been taken and how they were to
carry out a rescue plan. Serenity watched them from beneath a cherry
blossom situated upon a small hill with Hotaru sitting quietly by her side.
Her eyes appeared emotionless and indifferent, but a strange light reflected
in them that to an unobservant eye would not have been noticed, but Hotaru
saw it.
"Where do you think they could have been taken?" she heard Haruka asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied with frustration. "Possibly to
one of the two posts they held."
"No," Haruka responded, "they wouldn't take them their. The prisoners would
only get in their way. Possibly to those caves to the west."
"Maybe," Endymion replied although with great doubt, "but it would take us
forever to locate them. You know how many caves there are in those rocky
cliffs?"
"Perhaps," Serenity spoke up, "they did not take them anywhere." She
instantly caught their attention. Even Hotaru looked up in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Haruka asked slowly.
Serenity looked across the brook, her eyes dark and brooding as she replied,
"Prisoners are not always taken in a battle."
Endymion frowned angrily. He stood up and walked toward her with determined
strides. She noticed him approach, but remained where she was. He bent
down and grabbed her by both arms pulling her up until her face was leveled
with his. In a low whisper, he spoke words intended for her ears alone, "I
have tried many times to understand you, and now I truly know. You care for
no one but yourself. Do you think that your sorrows are the only ones in
this world? Do you think that perhaps there are others out there that may
have suffered just as much as you? I suggest, *Princess*," he emphasized her
title in an irritated voice, "that you drop this self-pity act and start
thinking for once. Wallowing in your grief will get you no where and it
wouldn't help your situation or anyone else for that matter." He paused to
let his words sink in before continuing in a calmer voice, "If you don't
want to come with us, then you're free to go wherever you please. I have
never, and will not now, hold you from your wishes."
She gazed at him for a moment. Her dark azure eyes searched the depth of
his Prussian blues for something that she wanted to see but somehow could
not manage to find at the moment. Without a response, she broke from his
grip and began to walk away. She gave neither a word of farewell nor a
backward glance as her form disappeared among the large trunks of the
surrounding forest. Hotaru hesitated, glancing back to her other two
friends but quickly followed the young woman into the dark undergrowth. He
watched Serenity disappear with mournful eyes and a deep emotion of regret.
They had only managed as far as a few steps when Serenity heard a small twig
snap toward her left. She immediately grabbed Hotaru and pulled her down
behind a thick shrub. Cautiously, Serenity peered through an opening
between two branches and to her surprise she saw Faith carefully approaching
Haruka and Endymion by the bank. She heard Faith call his name as she
stepped into the open. Endymion turned and a joyful light lit his face when
he saw his friend alive. Haruka was welcoming the young woman with great
warmth as well.
Her brows knitted together in pain as Serenity felt a strange emotion
overcame her. It was not jealousy, but perhaps envy. Faith was their
friend. She was a part of their group, while Serenity was only an outsider
that could never fit in and be truly accepted. It appeared that she was
destined to be alone. Her eyes grew dark again as she pushed these emotions
aside. I don't need them, she thought, but…I am interested in what
this girl has to say. How is it that she, a simple farmer's daughter,
managed to escape the attack when many well-trained soldiers have felled to
do so?
"Stay here, Hotaru," she told the child as she carefully edged her way
toward the forest edge in hopes of overhearing their conversation. She hid
herself behind a dense wild rosebush. At this distance she could hear them
perfectly well.
She arrived in time to catch the beginning of a question placed at Faith,
"…you manage to escape?" Haruka asked in surprise.
"I was working in my garden when I heard people screaming that we were
under attack. I was so scared that I just dashed headlong into the forest
in hopes of escaping capture. The Green Soldiers have been hunting for me
for quite awhile and knowing that they were so close just scared me to
death," Faith gave a shudder at the thought.
"It's alright now," Haruka comforted giving the younger woman a slight
hug.
"Did you see anyone else escaping?" Endymion inquired.
Faith shook her head dejectedly, "No, everyone was captured."
Endymion frowned with concern.
"Oh Endymion!" Faith cried as she threw herself into his arms, "I'm so
scared! What if they search for us…and….and found us?"
"They won't," he reassured her.
"How…how can you be sure?"
"Because they won't waste their time and energy searching only for five
people," he answered as he gradually let go of her.
"Five?" she asked in confusion. "Where are the other two persons then?"
"They're gone," he replied in a tight voice.
They? Faith thought.
"Where did they go?" Faith asked inquisitively.
Endymion shrugged, "I don't know."
"Faith," Haruka interrupted, "did you manage to see where the others were
taken?"
"Well," Faith said hesitantly, "after the battle, I returned to see whether
the Green army was gone, but they were still there. I heard one of the
M officers gave an order to head for the South Post. I stayed just long
enough to see them gather up the prisoners and march out. I noticed that
you and Haruka weren't with them so I began to search for you both."
"You returned?" Endymion asked incredulously. "Well, you are a very brave
girl, Faith."
"Indeed," Haruka agreed, "and thanks to her courage, I think we know where
our friends are being held prisoner."
Endymion nodded, "The South Post."
Hmmm…, Serenity thought with great suspicion, you *are* a brave girl,
Faith, she thought sarcastically. Far more the braver than the fool?
South Post, you said. Let us see.
Serenity had heard all she needed. She returned to Hotaru with a strange
expression on her face. Once within hearing distance, she whispered,
"Hotaru, do you know your way around these parts?"
The child answered in bewilderment, "Yes, but why?"
"Do you know where a place called the South Post is located?"
Hotaru nodded.
"Great, can you take me there?" Serenity asked.
"Yes I can, but why do you want to go there? That place is fortified to the
teeth with Green Soldiers. You're crazy if you want to go there."
"Perhaps, I am," Serenity replied as she gave a strange glance back toward
the stream, "but that is where we're heading."
It took them the entire week to travel on foot to reach the South Post, and
Hotaru was correct when she said the place was fortified with Green Soldiers.
The South Post, as Serenity soon observed, was merely a cliff by the side
of a large ocean spanning as far as the eye could see. The ocean's
sparkling dark blue surface lapped at the foot of the jagged cliff in bursts
of white foam that barely reached half the side. Hiding behind large jagged
rocks that jutted from the ground like icicles from a shingle, Serenity and
Hotaru watched as Green Soldiers (of which Serenity approximated to be five
hundred) stood guard in front of the cliff, while a hundred of them were
going behind the side of a slab of limestone rock that rose from the ground
as tall as a great red oak tree.
Serenity frowned in confusion, Estimating the width of that limestone
slab, it is impossible that that number of soldiers could hide behind it
all at once. Besides, why the need to hide simply a hundred foot soldiers
behind a rock slab when several hundred others are standing around like sign
posts? There must be something behind it. A cave perhaps.
Serenity scanned quickly around, but all she could see were regular foot
soldiers. There were no officers that would rank as Lieutenants among these
soldiers. But then again, she was not familiar with Earth military dress
codes. Thus, Serenity asked Hotaru if she could possibly recognize the
so-called M officers among these soldiers.
After taking a cautious peak over the top of the rock, Hotaru sunk back down
with a negative shake of her head. "No," she said, "I can't see any of the
M officers at all. Are you sure they were heading here?"
Serenity did not reply. She returned her attention to the numerous forest
green soldiers dotting the landscape before her gaze. Perhaps they were
not taken here at all, she thought carefully. But then why did Faith…?
Her eyes widened in surprise as a single word rose instantly to her mind,
Trap!
Hotaru noticed her sudden change of expression and asked fearfully,
"Serenity? What…what is wrong?"
No, Serenity thought in astonishment, this is a trap! That damn girl
lied! She is leading them into a trap! I knew her alibi sounded fishy.
Shit! What the hell am I to do?
"Hotaru," she said hurriedly, "We must get out of here and warn the others!"
"What?"
"This is a trap!" Serenity said as her eyes flashed with dangerous fury,
"Faith lied! The prisoners were never taken here in the first place. She is
leading them directly into a trap!"
"Oh my God!" Hotaru cried in fear.
"Come on! We must hurry! If we move quickly we might intercept them in
time!"
The two rushed out as quickly as possible without getting detected and ran
back along the trail they came, but they were too late. Before they managed
a few meters, they could hear yells and screams back at the Post that marked
the beginning of a desperate struggle. No! Serenity thought with anguish,
They're already here!
"Hide here Hotaru!" Serenity commanded before she rushed away.
"Wait! Serenity!" Hotaru called out desperately, "Don't go back there!" But
Serenity was out of hearing distance. Instead, the child hid among the
forest brushes in silent dread praying for the return of her companion.
Serenity rushed maddeningly toward the place of battle. I hope I get
there in time, she thought.
The fight opened before her like a scene in some play. She saw Haruka
fighting desperately against five Green soldiers, while Endymion was
struggling hard to fight against five other soldiers a short distant away.
One of the soldiers looked familiar, but Serenity could not discern the
face from this distance. However, this soldier was wearing a slightly
different uniform than the rest. To her horror, Serenity saw Endymion
quickly being defeated. They were greatly outnumbered. Victory was
impossible.
Serenity scanned around quickly in search of Faith, but the traitor was no
where in sight. Not surprising, she thought, her cold blue eyes flashed
with hatred. Serenity realized that escape for any one of them was almost
impossible. It would take a miracle to help them retreat, but she could not
leave them to fight alone. Instead, she pulled out a sword she had with her
during training with Haruka that early morning and rushed in.
Haruka was nearest to her, so Serenity reached her first. During her fight,
Haruka saw Serenity quickly approaching her. In surprise and fear she
yelled, "Get out of here! It's a trap!"
Upon hearing Haruka's voice screaming at someone, Endymion turned to look.
He saw a flash of silver hair before a Green soldier blocked his view in an
attack. Serenity? his mind managed to think before his attention was
quickly occupied again.
Twirling around like an unstoppable whirlwind, Serenity skillfully defeated
the soldiers rushing to block her from reaching Haruka. Slashing left and
right, she struck down the soldiers one-by-one as she met each attack. Soon
back to back, the two female warriors fought. Their two swords flashed
dangerously around them preventing any of the soldiers from penetrating
their tight defenses.
"I told you to get the hell out of here!" Haruka managed to yell through the
roars of battle.
"Like I ever listened to you?" Serenity yelled back sarcastically.
Haruka gave a laughing cry and said, "You're a fool, Serenity! But I'm glad
you're here now."
Serenity made no reply. A Green soldier attacked her from the side, his
sword flashed seriously close to her side but she managed to block it. She
used her sword to shove him back. He staggered backward under the force and
she used the opportunity to strike him down. There are too many! she
thought fearfully, We can't fight on forever.
"We must get out of here!" she yelled.
"We can't leave Endymion!"
Serenity frowned and gave a quick glance over at the mob surrounding him.
Impossible, was the word that rose to her head, it is impossible to
save him. Endymion…
Suddenly his voice rose above the din of battle as if in response to her
thoughts, "Get out of here!!!!" he yelled. "Save yourselves! Serenity!
Haruka! Get the HELL OUT OF HERE!"
"NO!" Haruka cried, "We're not leaving without you!"
"Listen to me!" he cried angrily, "It is useless! You must free the others,
so move it! That is an order!"
"But…," Haruka protested.
"He's right," Serenity said in a tight voice, "We can't save him. We must
escape or we'll all get captured!"
Haruka growled in frustration. "All right," she muttered reluctantly, "but
we'll come back for him."
Serenity nodded silently.
"Hold on fast!" Haruka yelled.
"What?" Serenity cried out in surprise.
Haruka did not reply. Instead she held out her hand at the soldiers
blocking their way of retreat into the forest and yelled, "Terra Winds!
Demolish!!!!"
Suddenly, a blast of power was emitted from her open hand and sliced through
the soldiers in a single clean sweep. The powers of wind raged around her
as Serenity tried desperately to retain her footing. Incredible! she
thought in amazement at the unbelievable force this woman just demonstrated.
For a moment, the incredible energy of the blow held the soldiers at bay,
but that moment was brief.
"Come on!" Haruka cried as she ran quickly toward the forest. Serenity
followed close behind.
Before she reached the safety of the trees, Serenity gave a fleeting glance
back toward Endymion fighting desperately alone. His body was covered with
blood and sweat. His left arm was wounded, but he continued to struggle on.
She knew he could not last much longer. A pang of sorrow swept though her.
She turned reluctantly away and followed Haruka but not before she whispered,
"Fight Endymion! I'll come back for you."
A soldier fighting against Endymion noticed their retreat and cried out to
his commanding officer, "They're escaping Major!"
"Never mind," his Major replied, "He is what we're after. Don't let *him*
escape or I'll have your skins! I want this man alive. Capture him! Get him
NOW!"
Although alone and physically exhausted, Endymion fought on with a spirit
that was unwilling to be defeated. A single man with one solitary sword, he
fought as if ten men were with him. Major Silica frowned in frustration,
He is much more difficult to bring down than I had initially estimated.
Watching him fight with amazing skills, Silica thought admiringly, He is
good. He is very good. But I am growing weary of this fight. It will end
now.
Endymion just managed to dodge the blade of a Green soldier when another met
his attention flashing close to his throat. He swerved in time to allow his
sword return the attack by hitting its mark in a flash of crimson.
"Enough!" he heard someone cried, "You are mine, shepherd!"
Suddenly a sphere of energy whizzed toward him at an incredible speed. His
eyes narrowed instinctively as he quickly did a forward flip high into the
air, barely escaping the attack as it hissed by singeing the tips of his
ebony hair. The attack met an unwanted target in the rock slab's face and
exploded. Close, he thought nervously, Too close for comfort.
Landing heavily on his feet, Endymion's dark Prussian-blue eyes focused on
the woman dressed in a moss-green uniform standing directly in front of him.
His raging azure eyes pierced her glare as the hatred of one met the fury of
another. "Fighting any further is plain stupid," she said, "I suggest
surrender, shepherd."
"Never," he hissed. "I'd rather die than allow you to capture me."
She responded in a mocking smile as she attacked again letting go another
powerful attack. This time two blades of gray energy flew at him. With a
body that was plagued with fatigue and a mind muddled with pain, Endymion
was unable to dodge both the attack. He managed to drop to the ground and
rolled away from the first blade, but the second came instantly leaving him
no room for escape. It struck him a forceful blow in the back sending him
reeling against the lime slab. His bloodied body crumbled to the ground in
a sounding thud, which left him unconscious, and a prisoner of his enemy.
A sinister smile crept to her lips as Silica whispered in a smooth voice,
"Let us see how she will deal with a traitor like you."
They have been running for a very long distance and fatigue has now caught
up with them. Gradually, they slowed down to a walk. Haruka gave a sad
glance back toward the direction where, in her mind's eye, she could
visualize Endymion struggling for his life. She hated this. She hated to
leave him behind, to run from a fight. But she knew she could not have
helped him if she stayed, and being captured was never an option.
"What are we to do now?" Haruka asked in a hopeless tone. "We can't return
to help Endymion and we have no clue where the others could have been
taken."
Serenity remained silent as she looked back toward the struggle they left
behind. Why didn't they chase after us? she thought in confusion,
Was it not in their intention to capture the rest of Era soldiers?
Hmmm…strange…could it be possible? Is he the only one they were truly after?
But why? Her thoughts quickly switched to another direction when she
heard Haruka's comments. For a moment, she pondered carefully the words
Faith had said. Maybe there was something in her alibi that might give them
a clue to the others location. Meanwhile, Haruka slumped down dejectedly
beneath the shade of a large oak. A hopeless and mournful look occupied her
lovely face. For once, she felt completely lost. There didn't seem any
possible paths they could take. All the available roads appeared to lead
only to a dead end.
"I can't believe Faith would betrayed us," she said in a low whisper, anger
evident in her tone.
"I can," Serenity replied.
"What?"
"What she told you this morning was simply too foolish on her part to be
true," Serenity said in an icy tone. "I mean, working in her garden before
the break of dawn? That is simply absurd. And she actually returned to see
if the Green soldiers are gone. Hah! Give me a break! The girl said she ran
in dead fright when she *heard* they were attacking, where did she suddenly
get her courage to return. I knew her story sounded too ridiculous to be
true, but I had no evidence to prove my suspicions correct."
"So you decided to check out the South Post in case she was telling the
truth?"
"Yeah," Serenity said in a deadly tone, "if I weren't so stupid, I could
have prevented you and Endymion from getting into her trap in the first
place." She stood looking into the distant with her hands clenched in a
tight fist as her eyes raged with such intensity of hatred that Haruka for a
moment feared her.
"No," the older woman spoke quietly from below, "Endymion and I were the
fools here. We should have caught up with her story in the first place
instead of believing her wholeheartedly like we did. It's just that we
never suspect a girl like Faith to hand us over to the Green soldiers. I
mean, she was hunted by Green soldiers as well."
"Maybe she wasn't hunted by them," Serenity said thoughtfully. "Perhaps,
she was their spy all along. It was probably she that revealed your
hideout."
"Most likely. Betrayed by one of our own. I…I don't know who to trust
anymore."
Hotaru watched Haruka with great sympathy. Here was a woman who has
committed herself to a desperate struggle in order to save the heart of a
kingdom from oppression and injustice. It appeared that the peace and
happiness of so many always fell upon the shoulders of so few.
Serenity remained silent for a moment before she said, "There is one you
can trust."
The older woman looked up at her in surprise. Expecting a cold gaze, Haruka
was met instead with calm azure eyes that held a deep hidden emotion. The
coldness at the moment was pushed back into the depths of those blue
crystals.
"And who would that be?"
"The one who would sacrifice his life for the sake of others."
"Endymion," Haruka whispered the dear name, "he has always been pure of
heart." Unexpected, she asked Serenity, "what about you?"
"What about me?" Serenity replied coldly.
"Can I trust you?"
Serenity remained silent for a moment. Her azure eyes became dark and grave.
"You can do whatever you want," she replied impassively, "but it is best you
don't place such hope on me."
"Why?" Haruka asked bewildered by the strangeness of her personality, "Will
you be betray us as well?"
Serenity did not reply. She returned her gaze back to the distant horizon
as she thought carefully on their next actions. Quietly she spoke, "I know
where your other friends are being held."
"What?" Haruka jumped up in surprise, "You do? How? Where?"
"If Faith said they are being held in the South Post, then the only other
place is the—"
"North Post!" Haruka interrupted in her excitement.
"Right," Serenity replied in a definite tone.
"But with only the two of us," Haruka began, "how in the world can we fight
past the hundreds of soldiers stationed there?"
"There is more to gaining a victory than simply fighting your way through,"
Serenity said. "If they used the element of surprise on us then why not
return it back to them. It is only respectful to give another a surprise
when they have given you one." A cold smile spread across her beautiful
face as the iciness returned to her gaze set in the distant northern
horizon.
[Well, I hope no one is angry with me for having Endymion call Serenity a
coward, but you must understand how frustrated he was. Besides, he didn't
mean it. ^_~ I try to make my characters be as realistic with their
emotions as possible so they are not perfect angels. ^_~ Anyway, sorry for
making this chapter so long. Now, can you guess who the M officers are?
There are three of them and they are all characters you know.
Hint: The letter "M" is the key. ^_~
Thanks goes to you all for being so patient with me as I try hard
to have a new chapter released each week. I'd also like to thank all who
emailed me. I love reading your comments! ^_~ Keep them coming people! ^_^
Oh! Announcement to those who are interested:
Fox channel is airing "Vision of Escaflowne" this August 19-00
at 11 AM Eastern time (10 AM Central and Pacific time),
and Cybersix at 10 AM or later Eastern (I watched that
already, it is a pretty interesting show. It is an anime
although the character style is quite different.)
Teletoon is airing Cardcaptor Sakura this
August 23rd, unfortunately I don't know what time. I have to find out if I
want to watch it though. ^_~ I like to see what it is like. I am
anxiously waiting to see Escaflowne. From what I heard, it should be
really good. ^_~!!!!!! I am also waiting for YTV to air the new SM
episodes and (hopefully) Gundam Wings. Wow, what a line up this fall! ^_~
Whoa, this is the longest author's note I have ever done. ^_^
*********** Well, chapter ten coming next week! "Trust" *******]
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Copyright (c) 2000, Cosmos.